ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT
Portable Sanitation Association International News
BIWEEKLY EDITION JUNE 23, 2021
Page 2
A Closer Look at the Truck Driver Shortage…continued from page 1
Continued on page 4
It's Not Just a Pandemic Problem
The driver shortage has been a long-standing problem
nationwide. The pandemic seems to have made it worse, or
at least, exposed the weaknesses of the system. As millions
took to doing a great deal of their shopping online truckers
of different types were needed. The market shifted rapidly
in some sectors. For example, trucking of fuel first dropped
dramatically when everyone stayed home, and then
restarted at almost full speed when the vaccines became
widely available. In the meantime, truckers made career
decisions based on their own needs, not that of the market. So we are where we are.
According to ATA, the biggest shortage overall is in long haul truckers. A combination of factors contributes to this
including:
• Historic pay rates and systems of compensation
• Time away from home
• Demographics—The average age of long haul truck drivers is 48 and many are retiring. There's also a gender
imbalance. Only six percent of truckers are women, and when any job is primarily filled by only one segment of
the population, it naturally shrinks the pool of applicants.
A couple of other factors that are sometimes mentioned in regard to trucking also bear mentioning.
Age limits. A person cannot legally drive a semi in interstate commerce until s/he is 21 years of age. There is a
movement afoot to lower the age to 18 years, but support is mixed for this measure. More importantly, even if it
went into effect, it would have a comparatively small effect on the applicant pool.
Turnover. The federal government estimates that there are between 300,000 and 500,000 long-haul truckers in
the United States. And according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, state governments
issue more than 450,000 new commercial driver's licenses every year. In other words, the total number of CDL-
licensed drivers could, theoretically at least, double in any given year. How could there be a shortage? According
to the ATA's data, turnover for over-the-road truckers is a jaw-dropping 92 percent annually, and it has been for
years. Turnover for smaller truckload carriers is 72 percent. In other words, most positions have to be refilled every
12–15 months, and often drivers simply leave the field for some other work.
Substance use as a disqualifier. The legalization of
several forms of cannabis/marijuana products throughout
the country makes it more complicated to keep drivers
on the road. Many drivers choose to partake in these
substances which are often legal to use—unless you are a
truck driver subject to random drug screenings. This can
have an extreme effect on the pool of available drivers.
But it is not just cannabis. The latest data from the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA)
Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse shows that while
marijuana products make up more than half (58 percent)
of all positive tests, 15 other substances account for the
remaining 42 percent.
